A Part of You
by ForeverFreelancer
Summary: Birds of a feather do flock together, as Inspector Carmelita Fox and Tony Fox have to team up together against Solfege, Arpeggio's niece, and put a stop to her diabolical plan to recreate the Clockwerk project. But they aren't the only ones involved, as Sly and his gang, along with their newest recruit, have made their own plans to stop the evil avian. On temporary hiatus
1. Chapter 1 Testing the Waters

_**A/N: Totally new version of the alternate story, I had to break down and revamp, with some tremendous help from a friend. I should note so you're clear: there's no kit in this version. You read Tony's story, and you're getting a brand new adventure unrelated to the first one, the only shared event being Sly's theft while working for Interpol. Sorry about the previous confusion. But I really wanted to start fresh and start right. So, without further ado... **_

* * *

_**Chapter 1 Testing the Waters**_

He drew her body closer to his, and held it there for a while. He stared longingly into her deep chocolate brown eyes, and stroked her hair that was as blue as the azure sky above. He felt the warmth of their bodies, the heat between them. He was attracted to her from the moment they met. He started to lean in for a kiss, and she closed her eyes in response; finally accepting him. _Carmelita… I…_

The Klaxon that was his alarm rang out loudly, signifying that was time to get up. He jolted up and in his half-awake state looked around the room.

"Carmelita?" No response, only the continued ringing of his alarm could be heard.

He used his hand and with a lot more force than he intended slammed down on the alarm to silence it. He turned over onto his stomach, and fell face first into his pillow and a muted groan came from his lips.

_It was a dream… of course it was…_

With great reluctance, he got out of bed and went into his bathroom to wash up. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, groomed down the bed head fur that he'd gotten due to tossing about from the dream he had. He could still feel her in his arms, and the warmth from their embrace.

"Damn it Tony, get a hold of yourself… She's your partner." He spoke to his mirrored reflection, clenching his fists, and then slowly relaxing them. The edge of his mouth dropped a little. _Yeah, she's my partner alright… but she's always been 'his'._

He finished washing up and checked his completed self in the mirror. His red fur perfectly groomed and well maintained, the fur atop his head was now spiked up with gel products to mimic his favorite action movie star in the new upcoming movie "Mr. & Mrs. Wolf."

He went back into his bedroom and opened up his closet. He took out his uniform, the standard brown jacket with the star logo with the word "Interpol" inscribed in the middle of it. Dressed in his uniform, jeans, and work boots; he grabbed his badge and keys and headed off to work.

The russet fox stepped out of his black Mercedes and walked up the front steps to Interpol Headquarters, knowing today would be much different than any day before it. For it was only last night that an event took place that caught all of Interpol by surprise. Though they probably should have, no one ever saw it coming.

After clocking back in when he felt like he'd only just gotten home to bed, he passed by a familiar face.

"Good morning Tony!" chirped the voice behind the front desk. "How are ya today handsome?"

Tony stopped to reluctantly greet the grey wolf. "Uh, fine Katrina thanks for asking." Though he didn't really care at the moment, he was a polite guy, so he smiled and asked, "And you?"

"Great. But enough about me, I wanna talk about something else. Like…oh…what happened last night?" A smile formed on her lips. "The deceit of the thief with sneaky feet!"

Tony's eyebrows rose over his weary eyes. "Word travels fast around here."

She placed a hot pink acrylic nail against her bottom lip. The colors of her nails seemed to change as frequently as her friendships, it seemed to the fox. The reason for that being that she was quite surface and catty. She couldn't get enough of gossip, and loved to be in the middle of it. Meddling was another pastime of hers. The more her name was brought up in the office setting, the more content she seemed to be. Kat the "catty" canine; rolls off the tongue in a humorous way. But if anyone dared to call her by that instead of Katrina, they might lose a clawed hand. Tony wasn't too close to this particular wolf, but was still sociable and friendly to her, as he was with everyone.

Although, he knew that gossip was something to be wary of in the workplace.

"You have no idea!" she said, shaking him out of his current thoughts. "Carmelita must be so shocked. And brokenhearted too! C'mon, you were there! You saw it all! Tell me. How did she take it, seeing her boyfriend betray her place of work like that? Betray her way of life?" She leaned in, her eyes locked on him, eager for his answer.

Tony raised his eyebrows slightly. "Umm, well, it was pretty devastating for her, I'm sure. We…we caught him trying to swipe Fortissimo Ferret's red diamond."

Katrina shook her furry head, pursing her pouty fuchsia lips. "Poor Carmelita, they were so close! How could he? An honorable Constable, reverting to thieving! And now she'll have to go back to chasing him, trying to put him behind bars. Oh the deceit, and the heartbreak!" She sighed deeply. "_So_ sad really."

Tony scratched his head, slightly overwhelmed by the melodramatic wolf. "Uhhh, yea…well I'm late, I really need to get to my office. See ya around Katrina." He walked swiftly to the back hallway.

"Are you gonna put the moves on her now?" Katrina called out obnoxiously across the room.

Tony froze, his cheeks flushed slightly. Damn that chatty little wolf! He couldn't move from where he stood. What was he supposed to say? After an awkward moment, he slowly turned to try to give her an appropriate reply, when the front desk phone rang. Katrina rolled her eyes, picking it up. As she answered saccharinely she shot the fox a glance, signaling they weren't finished with their chat.

_Saved by the bell!_ Tony thought. He waved her off as he rushed down the hallway to a certain Inspector's office door.

He raised a hand up to the closed door and began to knock.

No answer.

"Ms. Fox?" he called. Still nothing. "Inspector?" He peered into the glass window, but it appeared that she wasn't there. Her light was off, and she was nowhere in sight.

He waited for a minute or so before shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

He had to remember, she was a cop who had just witnessed the guy she loved stealing behind her back. It would be difficult for any girl to make it to work the morning after that. Nearly impossible.

His ears drooping, and with a heavy sigh, he turned to leave to go further down the hall to his own boring forms he needed to fill out.

"Tony?"

He spun around upon hearing her voice. Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox was slowly walking towards him, a stoic look on her face. Though appearing passive, he knew she was hurting.

"Hey, you're here!" he said, a little too cheerfully.

She raised an eyebrow. "I work here. In case you forgot." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And what are you doing just standing out here in the hallway anyway?"

"Waiting for you," he answered sincerely.

She snorted and remained where she stood. "Right...thanks."

He smirked at her standoffish reply, but then his face turned serious as he saw the forlorn look in her eyes. They were void of the sparkle that was once there. He couldn't imagine the anguish she was suffering at this moment. For she had failed to change the most wanted criminal in Paris into an honest man. And she'd lost a lover. Two losses for Inspector Fox in one night.

Tony frowned at the melancholy vixen that was standing before him. He put his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up at him in confusion.

"Carm," he said softly. "I know you're upset about this-"

She shoved him away. "I'm _fine_!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Perfectly fine."

He sighed, staring up at the bright fluorescent lights overhead before returning his gaze to her. "No, you're not. You're angry. And you're upset, and I totally understand that."

She glared up at the muscular fox. "I don't need your pity, Tony," she told him harshly. "I'm well aware of the ridiculous mistake I made. Though it was partially his fault too, it was mainly mine. I took the initiative, and I should've known better than to try and change him. I was stupid to think I could."

"It's not your fault Carm," he reasoned. "How could you have known?"

She shook her head, her large auburn tail thrashing uneasily behind her. "I should never have even tried to begin with," she whispered.

Tony stared at his partner, wanting to console her, to hold her like he had right after she ordered Cooper to flee the mansion.

It was an awful and wonderful occurrence all in one, catching Constable Cooper doing what he'd supposedly forgotten about altogether: stealing. While one could say that nothing good could come from witnessing that, there was one small silver lining in this dark cloud. And that was giving Tony a chance to get a little closer to her.

He ran a hand through his head fur, folding his muscular arms across his chest, knowing it was nearly a losing battle to try and comfort her, when she'd just as soon shrug it off.

He took the risk anyway and wrapped her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She was at first shocked at his contact and refused to return the hug, but then sighed as she encircled her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks," she mumbled out. "I really do appreciate you looking out for me, Tony."

He smiled and rested his chin on her head of dark azure locks. Though it wasn't the reward he would've preferred, it was still nice to hold Carmelita so close.

It was even better than his dream.

She soon wiggled free of his grasp and smiled up at him faintly.

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Hey, what are partners for?"

She pursed her lips. "For annoying each other to no end?"

He shook his head. He'd have to be satisfied with not receiving any positive kind of reciprocation from the broken vixen at the moment.

Which he was. After all, she was now at least free from Cooper.

Though there was no telling how long it would take her to heal from the wounds he'd made, Tony would always be there for her, and would wait as long as necessary.

The male fox was about to reply to her sarcastic question when a familiar voice boomed through the hallway.

"Officer Tony and Inspector Fox! Just the two foxes I need to see!"

Carmelita and Tony looked up to see Chief Barkley approaching them.

The badger looked to Carmelita warily. By now, everyone at Interpol was clued in on the Cooper Gang theft that took place merely hours ago. And it was very evident that the Sly and Carmelita were involved romantically while he was playing the part of Constable.

As tough as he was on her, he didn't have it in him to scold her for letting the guy she loved get away once again.

"How are you Carmelita?" Barkley asked.

Carmelita looked down at the short badger in surprise. He never asked her personal questions. "I'm fine, sir, thank you for asking," she answered respectfully.

He quirked an eyebrow, not buying her courteous answer. "I have in fact been informed on the events that took place at Fortissimo Ferret's manor," her boss told her.

"Oh," she answered uneasily, her stomach twisting up in knots. "Chief, I'm so sorry he got away again, I-"

He held a hand up. "The circumstances are difficult to say the least." His gruff frown softened just the slightest. "We all should've known better than to trust a criminal. Sly Cooper is nothing but a low life crook. That will never change. However, Inspector Fox, I expect you to continue pursuing him until he is behind bars."

Carmelita nodded. "Yes sir. I'll see to it that he spends the rest of his life in prison."

Barkley nodded, lighting and taking a long drag from his cigar. He then looked back up at her and cleared his throat. "Yes well, worry about him later. Right now, I have a much more dangerous target for you to go after Inspector. You and Tony will be teaming up on this."

Tony's ears perked. It was always a pleasure to go out in the field with his favorite detective.

Chief Barkley motioned them into his office.

Once all three were in his office, he shut the door and picked up a file from his desk, throwing it to Carmelita, who caught it deftly.

She opened it and studied the photo inside. It was of a striking posh avian girl. Her feathers were a deep crimson red, and her wings were a beautiful bold blue. The tail feathers fanned out behind her were a vibrant green.

"She's beautiful..." Carmelita noted in admiration. Tony walked over to study the photograph as well. "But…who is she?"

Barkley took a moment before he answered.

"Her name is Solfege. She's...Arpeggio's niece."

Carmelita looked up in shock. She hadn't heard that name in years. It brought on memories of the dreaded Klaww Gang the flightless bird, had been in alliance with. All the fearful encounters with those gang members in their efforts to reform Clockwerk were merely memories.

That didn't appear to be how it would stay.

"You see," Barkley began, "we have possible evidence that she's picking up where her deceased uncle left off. She's an avian-elitist of sorts. She doesn't believe that laws that bound and bind down land walking citizens should apply to those who soar the skies and are above all of that... literally, and figuratively."

Tony listened on, refraining from asking the many questions racing through his mind. He would have Carmelita tell him the whole story later, as this wasn't a case he was familiar with in any way.

"We have an inside man on the case..." Barkley continued, "a mole who goes by the name of Darrel... he's been collecting data that claims that she's been spending a lot of her family fortune meeting with less than upstanding individuals…and word has it, she's investigating about Clockwerk."

The vixen's heart stopped. Clockwerk himself was another horrifying memory. Now it seemed he was a memory that another was making plans to revive.

Tony put a hand to his chin. "What are the chances that two avian from the same family have ties with Clockwerk?"

"That's what we need you two to find out," Barkley replied.

Carmelita had a terrible feeling about this. Because anyone dealing with Clockwerk was someone Sly Cooper would be on the lookout for. And while she still battled with her inner blame for the situation, he was still the last guy Carmelita wanted anything to do with at this point.


	2. Chapter 2 Your Biggest Fan

**_A/N: I promise this story will be much more exciting, cheesebread222. Thanks for reviewing. :)_**

* * *

Chapter 2 Your Biggest Fan

* * *

It was four thirty in the morning, and she was hiding out in a stately museum in Paris known as the Musée des Arts et Métiers. Earlier that day she had snuck in and maneuvered through the halls of the museum, staying light on her feet as her heeled boots hit the tiled floor with a click-clack sound. She found the proper hiding spot and lied in wait, until night finally fell, and it was the perfect time to strike.

She would take great advantage of her only opportunity she had, as tonight was the last night it would be on display, so she only had one shot to make her move. She was ordered to go at it alone, which she knew wasn't safe. It's always a more efficient strategy to go into the field with aid, but she really didn't have anyone to accompany her at the moment. Assistance just wasn't currently in the cards for the poor girl it seemed. But sometimes, if you want something taken care of properly, you have to take care of it yourself. And she would always follow orders, especially if she could succeed in pleasing her boss, which was all that mattered to her at this point.

She had waited patiently for hours, staying concealed in the ever clever hiding spot normally found in museums: the sarcophagus. As she hid inside the stone casing, she left it opened just a crack so she could easily see out. She observed the room that held the ancient Lost Metal Technique Manuscripts. Infrared lasers crisscrossed the entire upper and lower level, as did a series of security surveillance cameras. Her large bushy tail swished as she mentally went through the course of action she would take. This would prove to be tricky, but she spent the day waiting and watching, and once the sun was replaced by the entrancing moon and stars, she knew it was finally the right time.

* * *

Sneaking down from a hallway in the opposite direction, Sly Cooper was swiftly approaching the temporary exhibit of, what Bentley dubbed the" L.M.T manuscripts," he and the gang desired to swipe.

Bentley had previously relayed to Sly that he needed to steal these very manuscripts, as they contained plans that could be used to construct the same kind of alloy Clockwerk used to build his immortal body. They needed to get ahold of them so they wouldn't "fall into the wrong hands," Sly remembered Bentley saying.

This was the first heist he'd been on since he stole the red diamond, the night when Carmelita ended their relationship permanently.

With the help and loving encouragement from his friends, Sly was able to crawl out of the dark hole of depression and finally come to accept that thieving was what his life was truly all about. Even though he missed her like crazy, this was his life. And what he did was something she didn't approve of. It was never meant to be for them to be together, and he just couldn't live a life in which he didn't get to steal. He wasn't staying true to his own self, and he just couldn't keep up the Constable charade.

He hoped that she could find it in her to forgive him eventually, as he knew he would never love another the way that he loved her. Their time together was wonderful, and he was glad she'd taken the chance back on Kaine Island that allowed them to have a real relationship at last. But she was just too black and white about crime, and couldn't handle his thieving ways. She'd made that apparent by telling him he wasn't allowed back home after catching him.

The whole situation was a cluster. He lied, she lied, no one really won in the end. But Sly was finally starting to come back to normal after suffering the pain of losing the one he loved.

Snapping back to the present day, or night rather, he heard the footsteps of a security guard making his rounds echoing through the corridor, and leaped behind a marble statue, initiating his impressive disappearing act.

When the guard was out of sight, Sly jumped back out and his eyes darted around the room. He pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Alright Bentley, how are we doing with those lasers?"

Back in the van with Murray, Bentley was hacking into the Musée des Arts et Métiers surveillance system. "I must admit, the process has been rigorous, and that's coming from me. It's been a while since I've examined and analyzed a system with this many codes to crack, but I am making progress. However, I can't keep it offline for long. When you reach the room, you have approximately five minutes and that's it. Get in there, grab the L.M.T. manuscripts, and get out."

Sly nodded and chuckled. "You act as if that's going to be a challenge for me."

"I swear Sly," Bentley sighed. "Your smug sense of worth is going to be your downfall one of these days."

"Aw Bentley," said Sly. "I happen to think my smug sense of worth is one of my greatest attributes."

Bentley responded with a simple "Yea, sure." He was just glad his friend was feeling up to bantering once again.

The crafty coon crept through the museum setting, finally reaching the room that held the set of documents he desired to swipe.

He smirked as he stared ahead at the glass case in the center of the room. "It's almost too easy. But always a pleasure to do a little lifting."

"Ok, ok," said Bentley. "I've gained access to the system. As soon as those infrared lasers disappear from sight, run. And I mean _run_."

Sly smiled. "Cool. A race against the clock. Just my style."

His heart thumping in anticipation, he watched and waited, until finally the infrared beams disappeared from sight.

"Five minutes and counting. GO!"

Sly nodded and headed for his target, but stopped dead in his tracks in disbelief at what he saw.

From the open sarcophagus on the upper level, a figure darted out and leaped off a balcony of the second story display area overlooking the manuscript exhibit. It somersaulted and leaped atop low hanging light fixtures near the ceiling at a speed that almost kept it from being seen at all. It used some sort of long instrument of sorts to swing from metal spokes of the ancient chandeliers.

Sly ran up closer to the center of the room, approaching the case. Whoever was lurking in the shadows, he wouldn't allow them to reach the prize he had his eyes on. He stayed on alert, his heart racing even faster, wondering if this person would pose a threat to him and his gang's operation.

His suspicions were astonishingly confirmed as the figure swung off a lower chandelier and landed right on top of the manuscripts' holding case.

Now Sly had a slightly more distinct view of the little hindrance to his heist.

She was a raccoon.

Sly's mouth fell open, taken aback as he watched the girl use her weapon to smash the glass case. The shards of glass rained down to the floor below, and the female grabbed the ancient manuscripts up in her black gloved hands.

Just who was this girl to step in on his territory and steal what he was planning to steal the whole time?

Having no idea what else to do at that point, he cupped his hands on either side of his face. "Hey!" he shouted to her.

The girl looked up and acknowledged the master thief with a mixture of worry and surprise on her features.

She froze in shock, as she had failed to thoroughly plan out her course of action for the nabbing. Seeing Sly Cooper up close for the first time, looking incredibly angry at that, caused her mind to scramble and she panicked slightly. She took a step back, feeling nothing but air beneath the sole of her boot.

The beauty of gravity caused her to flail and fall backwards off the broken remnants of the case, screaming.

The female raccoon hit the floor hard, dull pain racking her petite frame.

Though completely put off at the girl trying to steal his thunder and his fun, he was still concerned and ran over to see her lying sprawled out on the floor, grippng the documents.

He slowly began to walk over to her. "Hey, you ok?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped up to him in panic. She scrambled to her feet and backed up. She then turned and dashed to the nearest corridor.

"Wait!" Sly called stupidly, holding a hand out. He then shook his head and gritted his teeth, chasing the annoying girl. He couldn't let her escape with the ancient documentation he desired. He'd be damned if he was gonna let a female best him at his own game.

He darted after her, breaking into a full on run.

The raccoon girl looked over her shoulder to see Sly gaining on her, and she ran even faster. She cursed herself for not choosing a more efficient way of going about her plan.

Finding herself in a brand new exhibit of the ancient museum, she looked up to the Clément Ader's Avion III suspended on display in front of her. She leaped onto the massive aircraft, climbing up one wing and down the other.

Sly jumped up with much swifter skill, having participated in many heists prior, and chased her atop the avion's structure.

"What are you _doing_?" he called to her again as he scampered up the right wing. "Do you have any idea how big the mistake you're making is?"

The girl didn't answer, but instead leaped off the other side of the contraption and tore through the next corridor, her bushy ringed tail whipping in fright.

Sly growled and continued to pursue the girl through the many rooms of the exhibit.

The thief girl could feel her heart pumping wildly with difficulty. She felt searing pain in her lungs as she gasped for air. But there was no way she could stop now. Even if her body told her 'stop', her mind said 'faster'! She had to finish what she started.

She scurried through the majestically adorned corridors, but certainly didn't have time to enjoy the view. Eventually, to her complete dismay, she found herself at a dead end.

Now hyperventilating, she turned to see Sly stalking up to her, glaring.

She slowly backed up against the wall.

She failed. She'd been caught. By him.

As he stood before her, clenching his fists and baring his teeth, she dropped to her knees in surrender.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "Please don't hurt me!" She held her arms over her face in pathetic defense.

Sly's eyebrows rose in shock and then he gave her a sympathetic smirk. "Whoa, chill," he said. "I don't hit ladies."

She slowly lowered her arms and stared up at him in shock.

Now so close to her, Sly could easily study the amateur thief girl.

It was almost like looking into a female mirror. Of course her attire was different, but she had the same midnight black mask, tied in the back just like his.

She also was using what appeared to be a cane, though a crude one at that, as if constructed by a child.

Her form fitting black attire left little to the imagination, and while she appeared petite, she had curves in the proper appealing places. She had a slightly different coloration than Sly did. His fur was a darker gray while hers was more of a faint silvery shade.

The one thing Sly couldn't take his eyes off of was the color of her own. The lavender irises shimmered in the moonlight cast from the stained-glass window nearby.

He'd thought there was only blue, green, and brown. But he could plainly see the frightened and embarrassed eyes looking back at him were a striking hue of purple.

She slowly got to her feet, grunting at the pain in her right hip brought on from falling off the pedestal earlier. Remembering her stupid blunder, she blushed.

Sly and the female raccoon stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Sly finally held his hand out and said, "How about you hand me those documents now, if you'd be so kind Miss."

She didn't want to comply at first, but then realized that there was no reason not to at this point.

She sighed and handed him the papers he requested. She then pushed a few jet black locks out of her face, staring down at the burnt orange tiles on the floor.

Sly put the manuscripts in his red pouch and then turned his attention back to the girl. "Now then," he said. "Mind telling me what you were doing…stealing from a museum in Paris when it happens to be my turf?"

Her brow furrowed and her mouth fell open. "_Your_ turf? Who says _you_ get to be the only one to have fun and steal in this city?" It wasn't how she'd hoped they would meet for the first time, but things don't always go the way others wish, and that's simply the way life works.

His eyebrows rose in surprise at her answer and he folded his arms across his chest, gripping his cane. "Well, pardon me for saying Miss, but you don't really seem like the type that's got this whole thieving thing planned out."

She glared in discomfiture. She then let out a sigh and shuffled casually, shrugging her shoulders the tiniest bit. "Yea, I know," she mumbled. "But you have to start somewhere, right?"

This caused a smile to tug at Sly's lips. "I suppose so. And I have to commend you for taking advantage of my team knocking the security system out. How'd you know about that?"

The female coon wiped beads of sweat from her forehead. "I knew this museum was only keeping the manuscripts here for this weekend only. But I didn't know you were planning on stealing them too. I actually stayed here all day, waiting. And when the security system activated, I…spent my time studying the lasers, trying to figure out how I could avoid them. So, when your team shut it down, I took advantage of the easy swipe."

Sly smirked again, putting a hand to his chin. "That's…very underhanded. But it's also poorly planned. And thieving alone without someone's help is dangerous too. You do realize that if you get caught by Interpol's team, they'll throw you straight in the slammer don't you?"

She scowled at him, but then her harsh procyonid features immediately softened. He was the last guy she ever wanted to get in an altercation with. Being chased by him was nightmare enough.

"I know." She mumbled, staring out the window. "I just…wanted to give it a shot. And the person who sent me to steal those…told me that…" She swallowed. "That it might impress you if I succeeded."

He cocked his head to one side. "Impress me?"

She rubbed her left hand over her right arm nervously and stared up at him from beneath her wispy lashes. She then gestured to her crude wooden cane. "You're kind of my idol, Mr. Cooper."

A grin slowly appeared on his face and he chuckled. "Your idol huh? So…that explains why you look like my female counterpart."

For the very first time, Sly got to see her smile, granted it was a small, timid smile. "Well yea. You're all over the news, in all kinds of reports. And…you got me interested in thieving to begin with." She shrugged. "Even if I am a beginner."

"Wait," he said. "Who is this 'person' you're referring to who sent you here to steal the manuscripts?"

Her lips parted slightly as she looked up at him. She nervously fiddled with her wooden cane. "Uh…well…they told me to keep their identity a secret. I can't really say…boss's orders." She shrugged apologetically.

Sly folded his arms and laughed. "A woman of mystery, eh? Alright, I guess I can respect that." He smiled at her, his caramel eyes warm and calm once more. "Well clearly, you know who I am, but I never did catch your name, Miss."

Those irritating black bangs of hers covered her view partially once more and she pushed them aside, extending a hand politely. "I'm Cherise."

He shook her hand, loving the feel of her palm against his. Though they both wore gloves, a female's touch was always pleasing to the charismatic raccoon. "Quite a lovely name," he stated.

She blushed, which brought forth a chuckle from him. "Thank you," she said. "It's not as cool as yours, but my parents are just your typical Parisians I suppose. Unlike you, I'm not really following a legacy here. I just wanted to…try a hand at it."

He shrugged. "Hey, it's still cool to see a fellow raccoon participating in this kind of underhanded sport. Just…next time…don't plan to swipe something I've had my eye on."

She laughed nervously. "You got it. I'll make sure it's not your territory next time."

He grinned. "That's more like it."

Their pleasant conversation was cut short by the firing of a shock pistol that almost his Cherise.

She screamed and jumped away.

The two coons looked up to see a Rottweiler and a maned wolf firing at them.

Sly was disappointed to see that Carmelita apparently wasn't on duty tonight, but he decided that it was probably best that they hadn't seen each other for a few months anyway.

"Get back here you rotten criminals!" roared the Rottweiler, firing his pistol.

Sly looked to Cherise, who began to hyperventilate again. "C'mon," he said to her. "Time to split."

Since Sly was well adapted to avoiding shock pistol projectiles, he easily dodged them, ducking and hopping over the blasts with ease.

The same could not be said for Cherise, who screamed out every time she managed to dodge an electric blast.

The Interpol officers snarled in agitation at failing to hit either coon, and for a while Sly thought they were both home free. Then he heard an ear-splitting scream of agony behind him.

He whipped around to see the female raccoon, sprawled out once again on the floor. This time, however, it was due to a direct hit from a shock pistol.

"Yes!" the maned wolf hollered. "I got the little brat! Now for Cooper."

Sly gasped and darted over to Cherise's limp body. He knew he couldn't just leave her there; the poor girl could never survive prison. Besides, she was his biggest fan.

He swiftly scooped her up in his arms and continued to make a getaway.

As the deafening blasts sounded behind him, he looked down at the pretty unconscious coon in his arms.

_I hope she'll be ok_, he thought to himself.

He flipped through the air and jumped out of range of the shots. While running, he heard the voice of his friend in his ear.

"Sly! It's been well over five minutes! Please tell me you retrieved the manuscripts!"

"Yea Bentley," he answered curtly. "I got 'em. But I had a little run in with some lovely fellas wielding pistols."

Bentley sighed. "Of course. Please be careful on your way out here."

Sly's eyes fell on Cherise, who had not been so careful.

"Sure thing," he huffed.

* * *

Once he evaded the Interpol team and approached the van outside the museum, the two officers ran up to the balcony that overlooked the street.

"COOOOOPPEERRRR!" roared the canine.

He shook his head as he flung open the door and slid in the passenger seat. It just wasn't the same when a woman wasn't yelling his name at the top of her lungs.

Once he and his little hitchhiker were inside, Sly looked to his buddies. Murray and Bentley were staring at him with their mouths hanging wide open.

He knew full well why they were gawking. "I'll explain later," he said. "Floor it, Murray."

The hippo nodded and he sped off down the street.

Bentley, however, was a turtle who demanded answers. "Alright, it's later," he informed him with a hint of sarcasm. "Now, tell us what in the world happened? And who is _she_?"

Sly looked down at the coon girl. She looked completely unharmed on the outside, as if she were merely sleeping.

But Sly knew that there was no telling how badly she'd been injured on the inside from the electric shock.

"She's uh…my biggest fan," Sly told them.

"Huh?" Murray asked, shooting him a puzzled look before turning his attention back to the road.

Sly bit his lip. "Well…turns out she was trying to steal the Lost Metal…whatever you called them…manuscripts tonight too." The hippo and turtle remained speechless so Sly continued. "She snatched them before I could get my hands on them and ran off with. Then I chased her and got 'em back, but one of Interpol's men shot at her."

After a moment Bentley crossed his arms. "So what, because of her own stupidity, you're…helping her out?"

"Well I feel responsible," Sly admitted. "We talked a little and it turns out I'm the one who got her interested in this whole thing to begin with. Besides," he said, a faint smile on his lips. "She could be an interesting new recruit to the gang. Her name's Cherise. And…I dunno…she's kinda cute too."

Bentley scoffed. "Are you actually considering planning on recruiting someone you hardly know just because you consider her attractive in one small way or another? Sly, she tried to steal something that we need! That contains plans that could be put to evil purposes. She's obviously up to no good."

Sly shrugged off the comment in disagreement. "Nah, I doubt that Bent. But let's just get her back to our place and see if she's going to even wake up after all she went through tonight."

* * *

_** Note: The Musée des Arts et Métiers is an actual museum in Paris. Little fun fact for ya. I hope you enjoyed chapter 2. As always, thank you for reading! **_


	3. Chapter 3 Just Go Slow

_**A/N: Well, the secret is out! *gasp* Yes this is indeed a co-write with my good friend Deags. And I've been steady working and planning with him to make this piece enjoyable. One thing to remember is that he is mainly in charge of the technical descriptions and helping me keep everything consistent while I focus on writing up all the character interactions and complex relationships, like friendships, allies, enemies, and romantic ones. Though you'll be pleased to know I'm working hard to make sure one theme doesn't overwhelm another. **_

_**But he flatters me by calling me 'intelligent' and whatnot. I am merely an apprentice to the master, which brings me to thank him for all his help. This wouldn't be what it is without his critique and guidance.**_

_**Now that I've rambled, let's check back in with Inspector Fox and her partner, shall we?**_

* * *

Chapter 3 Just Go Slow

* * *

Officer Tony stepped out of his car closing his door on the driver's side. He tossed the keys to the valet and thanked the weasel attendant before joining his partner on the sidewalk. Tony had to take great care not to let his stare linger on her bushy auburn tail and what was beneath it; the sapphire formal gown she was wearing showed off more fur, and shape, than her usual work attire did.

He put a hand to his forehead, soothing his temples as he pressed his fingers to them and massaged them in a circular motion. He was running on barely any sleep at all, and he had a job to do, and all he could think about was how appealing the vixen Inspector looked tonight, not that she ever looked unappealing, even on her bad days; a guy would have to be blind to not find Carmelita attractive in one way or another. Though her soft and delicate features were often hardened by her gruff scowl she unknowingly displayed, to Tony, it didn't take away from her beauty in the slightest.

He still had to concentrate on the job, but testosterone coursed through his very veins, and there was no denying that the form fitting dress she'd chosen practically asked for eyes to crawl over her figure. He gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

"You alright Tony?" Carmelita asked.

Tony looked up to see her eyeing him with a furrowed brow, but her eyes had a look of concern in them.

He smiled weakly. "Just fine, Carm, uh, Inspector."

She gave him a quick once over. "You look sharp," she noted.

He looked down at his suit and adjusted his burgundy tie around his neck after smoothing down the notched lapels and then shot her a weak but sincere grin. "A compliment from you, Inspector? I must be doing something right then."

She snorted and bent down to smooth out the wrinkles on her tight dress that had formed as she was sitting. "Keep telling yourself that."

"You look very nice yourself, detective," he complimented. "Beautiful, if you don't mind me saying."

She tamed back a few strands of hair that were too short to be pulled back in her bun as she smirked at her partner. "Flattery gets you nowhere in this business, Mr. Fox."

He cleared his throat and brushed at his sleeves casually. A simple thank you would have done just fine.

As if reading his mind, she looked up at his weary green eyes and smiled lightly. "Thanks Tony."

He smiled back. "Just stating the obvious here, Carmelita."

She felt her cheeks flush as she reached into her purse to pull out the false ID she had been issued by Chief Barkley to gain access to the debutante avian's party at her cliffside estate.

Tony whistled as he stared up at the gargantuan house ahead. Columns lined the gated estate's entrance, and large bay windows could be seen on the second story. The A-framed roofing style added to the architectural masterpiece, as did the small balconies and small patios jutting out on the upper level.

"Think she has enough rooms in that place?" the male fox asked his partner jokingly, studying the abundance of windows overlooking the massive front yard.

The vixen rolled her eyes, but decided to play along. "Mm…I think she could use one more," she said.

Tony grinned, matching her stride as they walked to the front steps. "I think fifty is enough. It's an even number."

Carmelita snickered but her expression morphed back into a serious one as she noticed the security staff at the door. Like Cinderella's spell being lifted at midnight, the vixen's demeanor changed as she got into detective mode, gripping her false ID as her eyes stayed on alert for anything suspicious, as was instinct while on the clock.

Tony fished the ID he'd been issued out of his coat pocket as well. He and Inspector Fox approached the security staff at the door. The dingo and wallaby guarding the entrance were tapping on handheld PDAs. All dressed in black, their short sleeves exposing their large muscles, they both slowly lifted their heads at the approaching footsteps. Their expressions remained stoic as they glanced at the foxes. "State your name and occupation title," the dingo ordered.

Carmelita lifted her false ID up and gave it to him to examine. "Alicia Moreno," she stated. "Photographer with Eagle Eye photography."

Tony showed his own ID to the wallaby. "Travis Bryant, shareholder for IBEX corporation."

When both their aliases had been confirmed on the list and the security guards seemed satisfied with their identification cards matching up, they both nodded once and returned each card to its 'owner'.

The dingo opened the towering door to allow them to enter the premises.

The two foxes gaped at the lavish environment all around them.

The black and white tiled floor stretched all the way down to the end of the great hall, and up above, a balcony overlooked the lower level. On either side of it, a set of stairs adorned with a brass railing curved outward where it joined with the banister. Paintings lined the wall; there was no telling how much any one of them could be worth, somewhere in the thousands no doubt. Statues and tall potted plants decorated the ostentatious setting as well. It was a sight to behold.

They entered the main room where the guests were gathered, some mingling, others dancing or eating.

The vixen looked to Tony. "Here's the plan: you go find Darrel, I'll see if I can get an audience with this Solfège."

He gave a nod. "You got it."

The two vulpine officers then set out on their undercover missions.

* * *

Carmelita explored the second story, having no luck finding the rosella hostess anywhere on the lower level. She did what any normal undercover Inspector would do and decided to play the crowd, ask around to see if someone had a clue as to the whereabouts of the gracious hostess.

She walked up to a circle of fruit bats and tapped a female on the shoulder. She glanced at the stranger.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you might know where I could fine Solfège?"

The bat thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, sorry," she answered.

"Thanks anyway," Carmelita said, already taking off in search of another posse to question.

She played the question game for a while, but failed to get an answer she desired each time. It was a tad peculiar; all these guests had come to indulge in the party fun, yet they had no idea where the girl who actually threw the elaborate party was.

She sauntered up to a trio of giggling and gossiping minks, each one holding a martini glass in one hand. "Excuse me girls," she spoke up. "Have any of you by chance seen Miss Solfège?" She then waited for the 'no sorry' response so she could continue on with the wild goose chase, when one of the minks said, "Yea, I just saw her walk by with her friends actually."

Carmelita's eyes widened as she looked up at the red-headed mink. "Really? Which way did she go?" the vixen asked.

The mink pointed to doorway on the far side of the room. "She went that way, to the lounge I think."

Carmelita smiled. "Thank you so much," she replied quickly before taking off in that direction. The mink smiled in her direction before turning back to her juicy conversation.

When Inspector Fox finally stumbled upon the enormous lounge where Solfège and her friends were conversing, she was nearly taken aback. It was one thing to see a picture of her in a file, but to be in her presence was a whole new shock to the visual sense. The exotic rosella possessed a rare kind of beauty, the kind that makes a person want to stop and stare. It was a bit surreal. The colors of her feathers encompassed the entire rainbow, save for orange, but her thin arms and legs, the only parts of her not to be covered in glossy feathers, took care of that color.

The group of avians were all talking and laughing amongst each other as they sat in the posh lounge area. Carmelita thought this was as good an opportunity as any and strolled up to the group.

"Miss Solfège!" Carmelita addressed her in a polite voice.

The female bird's feathery chartreuse and black wings fluttered at the voice calling her name. Solfège looked up to see the female stranger standing before her, appearing to be some sort of professional photographer.

This sparked the avian's interest. Perhaps this girl was someone she would consider giving some of her precious time to. She could enjoy the company of anyone who held a camera in their hands. She was still on the defense at seeing the new face even so.

"I'm sorry but, who are you?" the rosella inquired.

"My name is Alicia Moreno, and might I say you have quite a lovely home," she answered with a warm smile.

Solfège blinked, her hazel eyes apathetic. "Thank you, but... who are you, and what exactly is it you want?"

The vixen shook her head. "Oh, right! I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm with Eagle Eye photography and I was hired to attend on behalf of the company. My area of expertise deals with images of fashion and modeling, and when I heard of this social gathering, I had to come see for myself. The dress code for this event seems to have brought in fabulous subjects for me, and it's such an honor to meet you as well. I was hoping, if it's not too much trouble, to get a few snapshots of you as well?"

The avian looked her over suspiciously, her eyes narrowing faintly. "May I have some authentic identification regarding your request?" she asked in a low voice that possessed an undeniable quality of arrogance.

"Oh, yes of course!" Carmelita showed her ID to the winged debutante, who studied it before handing it back to her with a bored smile. "Sorry," the striking rosella said with a shrug. "But when you're rich like me, it's always better to take precautions regarding…others."

"I understand. Can't be too careful," the vixen replied.

Solfège nodded. "I would be happy to let you take some pictures of me. Only a few though." The rosella stood up slowly and looked to her friends. "I'll be right back," she told the group before turning back to the photographer and motioning her down the hall. "Come with me; I know the perfect spot I can pose for you."

"Great!" said Carmelita in an uncharacteristically bubbly tone that she used for her false persona. "I really appreciate you taking time away from your guests for me," the vixen lied smoothly. "I can't wait to snap a few shots of such a beautiful bird like yourself."

Solfège laughed condescendingly, running a clawed hand through her long silky blonde hair ringlets that were highlighted with aqua colored streaks. "Glad to hear that."

Carmelita could already chalk down conceited as a trait Solfège had, but with features and a body like hers, she figured most girls would be, not to mention her hypnotizing wings that decorated her back with a bold show of impressive color. The chartreuse shade was outlined with thick black circles that spanned over her many feathers. The dark green tail feathers fanned out from underneath her slinky purple dress as she popped her hips from side to side, leading the vulpine photographer to her sweet spot for photos. Royal blue feathers covered her partially exposed thighs, and stopped at her knee. The remaining length of her long golden legs were exposed, including her feet, from which extensive but manicured talons grew. They were both very beautiful and very terrifying features.

Carmelita followed behind, her lips quirking at the way the conceited snob promenaded ahead of her with her beak held high.

As the two entered a break in the hall, an enormous floor to ceiling window came into view to the right. It displayed the canopy of the lush garden outside. What's a model without her trusty exotic background?

Solfège whirled around, her blonde locks whipping about due to the abrupt movement. "What pose would you like me to start with?"

Carmelita's eyebrows rose. This girl was no stranger to the camera. "Uh, whichever one you prefer, as long as I get a great shot of your flawless face."

A smile appeared on Solfege's beak. She did love the attention. She placed a right behind her head, and rested her left hand on her small hip, popping it to one side seductively and locking her left leg in the position as her tail feathers rose, creating a large metaphoric palmetto leaf behind her. She tilted her head to one side, her hazel eyes fierce as she looked back at her photographer. "How's this?" she asked.

"Perfect," Carmelita answered as she knelt down and aimed the sleek digital camera. "Picture perfect."

The avian smirked before switching poses. Each time she chose a daring pose that was almost pinup material. But it didn't matter to the vixen; reconnaissance photos were reconnaissance photos, and any kind of closer view she had of Interpol's latest possible target was good enough for her.

After taking several more pictures, Carmelita smiled. "These will do just fine. Thank you so much!"

Solfège placed her clawed hands on her petite waist. "I normally don't associate with average land walkers like yourself, but I'm always happy to oblige for a professional working with Eagle Eye. They're a prestigious group, I'll give them that much."

Carmelita nodded, her brow quirking at what the avian had called her, but decided it wasn't important and shrugged it off before grinning up at her. She stood up, realizing she desperately needed some answers from her while they could talk face to face; she knew she may never get the chance again. "So," Carmelita started. "You must model. You have a real knack for this kind of thing. The angles you take advantage of will give these photos such an artistic vibe!"

Her hazel eyes flickered at the random photographer making a personal attempt at conversation; normally photographers snapped a few pictures of her and were then on their way. She was speechless at first before smiling to the compliment. "I do some modeling here and there," she informed her.

Carmelita nodded. "So that's your job title then, huh? Very nice. Must be cool to always be in front of the camera, as opposed to behind it like me."

Solfège pressed her beak closed. "Well, it's not exactly a job, more of a hobby. My job used to be running the empire after my parents passed away. Now I'm just living life enjoying the finer things. When you can afford to, why not splurge on anything you want, right?" The rosella laughed softly at her own words.

This prompted Carmelita to laugh with her. "Definitely," said the vixen, formulating her next move. "I have to admit, this is one of the most extravagant parties I've ever had the pleasure of attending, and I just was wondering, if you don't mind me asking, what the purpose for it was exactly?"

The rosella crossed her arms. "Well it's just my way of giving back I suppose. When you have lots of money, and I mean lots, you like to share it with the little people."

Carmelita fiddled with her camera as she gave another bubbly smile. "Aw, that's a nice sentiment," she lied. "So, what is it exactly that you do for a living, Miss Solfège?"

The rosella twirled a lock of her blonde hair in a talon. "Well like I said, besides making sure the company is run properly, I've just recently gotten involved in the metal industry."

The vixen's ears perked. "Oh yea? Is there lots of money in it?"

The colorful bird chuckled at the talkative photographer. "Well…you could say that, I suppose. It's an impressive endeavor that…I've become intrigued with."

"Ah Solfy. There you are!" came a male voice.

The two females turned to see a group of posh avians walking up to the rosella party hostess.

The golden-feathered male sauntered over, passing right by Carmelita, and grasped the rosella's hands. "We just saw Scarlett Macaw Johansson, downstairs mingling. She's been waiting to speak with you."

Solfege's wings flapped as she acknowledged his statement, her eyes looking pleased while still remaining bored and cold. "About time a celebrity showed up here," she said.

A female bird with purple feathers eyed the camera-wielding vixen, scrunching her beak as she looked her up and down condescendingly.

"Shall we?" the golden bird prompted, before holding an arm out to 'Solfy', who took it, and began to walk away. She turned her head back to Carmelita, or as she knew her, Alicia.

"It would seem I have a...legitimate guest to attend to. It was…'nice', talking to you," she said half-heartedly. "If you would like more pictures of me in the future, here's my card." She whipped the small business card out and handed it to the land walker before continuing her exit.

Carmelita stared down at the card in disbelief, then looked back up at arrogant bird, scowling as she watched her disappear. _What a piece of work she is, _she thought to herself.

After Solfège took off with her literal flock of fellow avians to mingle with a celebrity, a voice sounded in the vixen's earpiece.

"He's here. We're located at the rotunda of the room."

* * *

Carmelita went back downstairs, nearly getting lost in the maze of hallways the mansion held. She made her way to the main room where the party was still filled with lively elitists. She maneuvered through the sea of high-class guests, spotting Tony across the room full of unfamiliar faces. She strolled up to him, and he turned to see her, his pointed russet ears perking at her return.

"Got some great recon photos," she said quietly, holding the camera up. "Got to meet Solfy too."

Tony quirked a brow. "Solfy?"

Carmelita opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted when the person in question cleared his throat.

Carmelita turned to face him, and was surprised to see the "mole" was actually… a mole. Her eyes widened, but she remained speechless.

The aged mole flashed a knowing smile, clasping his hands together. "That look on your face, tells me all you want to say. Yes, I am the…" He looked around and lowered his voice, "mole…" before returning it back to normal. "And I realize that me being one is rampant with bitter irony, but here."

Darrel pulled from his shirt pocket a small device, a USB, and handed it to the male fox.

"On this USB is the information I managed to gather over the time I've been at this company that Solfège has overlooked," the mole informed them.

"Is there any viable information in here? What do you have?" Tony inquired, as he studied the data storage device.

"Nothing."

Both of the foxes' ears perked up as their brows knitted together simultaneously.

"What do you mean… nothing?" Tony repeated.

"Exactly what I said," Darrel replied. "There is no discrepancies, no outliers, nothing. It's completely clean."

"Then what are we supposed to do with this?" Carmelita asked, bewildered.

Darrel's brow furrowed, his long nose wiggling. "Who do you think you're talking to Miss? I've been doing this for much longer than you've been enlisted, and I'm damned well good at it. The reason why I gave you that is: simply put, it's too perfect. No company in this day and age is this spotless, and, therefore, is suspicious."

Both of them continued to stare at him warily.

Darrel sighed. "Look… just trust me on this. There's a lot of technical stuff on it, but look at the three that I've marked on the USB, they're legitimate companies who all claim to have done dealings with Solfège, but I have a feeling they're just fronts so that she can pay out to those under her employ."

"Who are the three?" Carmelita questioned.

"The first one is towards social events like today's." Darrel said as he gestured around the room. "She's been putting a lot of money into these social gatherings and she recently has moved more into it, and she doesn't have anything scheduled for the next few months."

"Secondly, there is a figure there on that USB that is much lower than the rest. I've inquired her on that particular expense, you know… for tax purposes, and she just said it was a personal investment on a small independent party, that she has now under her employ. She didn't go into anything more than that."

Tony's eyes narrowed as he wondered just what this personal investment could be.

"Lastly," the mole continued, "she has made a suspiciously large investment in a metal industry in America. They've started developing a brand new type of alloy that is over one thousand times lighter than Styrofoam, yet the metal is as durable as any metal out there. Even more durable perhaps, according to the testing and studies they've been doing. It's supposed to be able to last much longer than other metals too. One that can supposedly outlast the elements."

Carmelita's lips became a thin line as a bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. This was almost like a repeat of the past. Pristine metal alloys that could outlast the elements? This had plans of recreating Clockwerk's body of immortality written all over it.

Tony nodded before pocketing the small USB. "Thank you, Darrel. You've been very helpful in our investigation."

A buzzing sound was heard, followed by Darrel pulling his touch screen phone out of his pocket. He looked up to the foxes. "My pleasure. Well, my work is done; best of luck in your efforts, officers." He turned and walked out of a nearby doorway without waiting for them to respond and was soon out of sight.

Tony turned back to his vixen partner and couldn't help but notice that she looked on edge. "What's the matter?" he asked.

She crossed her arms, the black tips of her ears folded over. "Nothing…I just…thought that Clockwerk had finally been put to rest."

Tony put a hand on her shoulder, and she tensed up in response. "Well, we'll do everything we can to keep it that way. We'll put an end to any plans before they're put in motion," he assured his tense partner. "That's our job after all. And we have a new lead now, thanks to Darrel. Next thing we can do is set out to America and check out the metal industry that's perfecting this alloy he was referring to. That's progress, Carm."

Her heart beat ragged within her chest. No one had called her 'Carm' in a while; the only guy to ever use that shortened version of her name was Sly. Hearing a new male say it…well, she wasn't really too sure how she felt about it. It almost made her miss the suave raccoon that her aching heart used to beat for. She exhaled through her nose, her ears drooping.

"Did I say something to offend you?"

She looked up to see Tony's expression of concern and quickly shook her head. "No, of course not. I'm fine. Just a little stressed right now."

"Yea I noticed," he jabbed in a warm tone.

She pushed a lock of blue hair out of her face and a smile tugged at her lips.

As the piano melody continued to drift through the air, floating into their pointed ears, Tony formulated a small plan for his own mission objective. "Care to dance Inspector?" he suddenly asked.

She stared up at him with a look of utter astonishment and disbelief, as if he'd offered to make love to her on the nearby table. She opened her mouth, but couldn't form a proper sentence initially. Her expression melted into a mild smirk. "You're joking, right?"

He sighed and held a hand out to her in invitation. "Come on Carmelita. Just one dance. It'll get your mind off of the situation and how stressed you are."

She bit her lower lip, folding her arms tighter to her chest. Her voice dropped low, like she was discussing a secret matter with him. "We're on the job, Tony."

He shrugged and then smirked down at her. "So, you're telling me that as long as you've worked as an Inspector for Interpol, you've never gone undercover to attend a lavish party like this, and participate in a little dancing and fun yourself?"

She frowned, her eyes dropping to the floor as she battled with the conflicting feelings swirling through her in a tornado of emotion. All she could think about was the tango she'd shared with Sly. She looked up at her fox friend with a sadness misting her normally bright chestnut eyes. As she studied Tony's confused face, she then remembered that Tony had no prior knowledge of the Clockwerk case, or Rajan's party, so it was an honest question.

She looked around the room for disapproving stares, though of course there were none; it was a figment of her imagination tormenting her once again. Finally deciding it was an innocent and acceptable request, her lips pulled up into a smile, though her eyes appeared stern and guarded. "One dance," she said. "Then we're leaving to go back to HQ to report our findings."

He grinned and took her hands, leading her to the vast dance floor. It wasn't much, but getting to dance a little with her was at least something. "Oh will you just forget about work for once in your life, _Alicia_?" he jested.

She chuckled, scrunching her nose. "I can't help it, _Travis_. A job is necessary to pay the bills, you know, just in case you were unaware."

"Oh I'm aware. Thank you for informing me though, Inspector. Thorough as always."

She lightly shoved him and he smiled, bringing forth a snicker from the male fox before he turned serious.

"A job is important Carmelita," said Tony. "But it doesn't have to be your whole life. It's ok to have a little fun too."

She smoothed her tight blue dress out. "I know," she mumbled softly. She looked up at him, linking her arms around his neck, and he in turn wrapped his arms around her waist, taking care to rest his hands on her back appropriately so as not to offend her.

He smiled down at her, his posture relaxed as he danced with his foxy friend and fellow vulpine coworker. Her posture, however, was still tense.

He touched his nose to hers, causing her eyebrows to jump as she stared up at his emerald green eyes.

"Relax, Carmelita," he murmured to her gently. "It's just a little slow dance. Easiest type of dance there is."

She sighed, looking away. "I know, I know," she whispered, shaking her head. "This just…feels a little weird is all."

"Well that's because you're overthinking it," he replied with his trademark smirk. "Don't think of this as something that has to mean anything at all. I'm just trying to help you loosen up and enjoy youself a little, not as a suitor, just as your friend. Will you at least let me do that much Carmelita?"

She smiled up at him, her cold brown eyes melting as she did in fact relax a bit. "Of course," she answered. "And…I'm sorry. Sorry about how I've been acting lately. I've just been upset, to say the least…about…the whole heist thing." It was difficult to merely think about it; bringing it up caused her voice to go breathy. She felt so stupid for trying to change Sly Cooper, as if that was fair in any way. He was a thief, and she an Inspector. There was just no way he could've continued his job as a Constable and stay true to his own self. It was like telling the sun to shine at night, or wishing for snow on the beach; it just didn't work that way. She almost sympathized with him for trying, but she was still hurt that he reverted without even so much as an explanation or goodbye.

Tony picked up on her sadness and drew her closer as they danced. "Hey, no apology needed. It's only been, what, a week? You take all the time you need to heal Carm. Don't think about it so much, it'll only make you feel worse. But…I just want you to know that until you feel up to something more, whenever that may be, I'll be right here for you, to be your friend, or just your dance partner. Ok?"

She beamed up at him.

"Thank you Tony. That means a lot to me," she whispered weakly.

He smiled warmly. "Anytime, Carm."

She rested her head on his muscular chest, deciding that it felt kind of nice to be called Carm again. It was much more personal than 'Inspector Fox', and it didn't sound so stiff and formal.

The smile never left his face as he looked down at her and rested his chin on top of her head of cobalt hair.

It was silent, save for the sparse chatter of the remaining party guests, and the gentle music. Tony was on cloud nine as he swayed to the music with Carmelita Fox in his arms. He'd told her it didn't have to mean anything, but it sure meant a lot to him.

"This is nice," Carmelita suddenly said, inhaling his masculine scent as she continued to rest her head upon his chest. Sweet attention from a male was quite pleasing to the heartbroken vixen, when she did allow herself to open up to one; it was still a risky business for her nonetheless. She frowned as she was reminded of the dull but stubborn ache within her chest.

His lips formed another small smirk. "What's nice?"

"Slow dancing," she answered, looking up at his handsome chiseled features. "I haven't done it in such a long time actually."

He felt her body warmth as she drew herself even closer to him, and he chuckled softly, lowering his chin gently on her soft head of hair once more and closed his eyes. "Yea it can be really nice at times…to take things slow."

* * *

_**Road trip to America soon to come. The Fox duo must investigate this metal alloy situation. Something smells fishy…or perhaps avian-y. Hmm…**_

_**Anyways, if you're keeping up with my other story, I hope you pick up on how I'm staying truer to Carmelita's canon character in this story as the guarded mercurial Inspector she really is. **_

_**Deags takes no credit for the Tony/Carm scene. Pairing scenes are all me, and he refuses to be associated with the fluffy fluff that is fluffier than a Persian kitty cat. **_

_**Kidding, he has no problem with them; I just enjoy writing them up a bit more than he does.**_

_**So by now you can see that there is sort of a pattern, which means next chapter, we pick up with Sly and the gang where they left off, so keep an eye out for that chapter soon. **_

_**Please feel free to review if you would like to tell us whatcha think.**_


	4. Chapter 4 The Breakfast Clan

_**As always, thank you to my faithful reviewers, and thank you to the people who are faving and following. **_

_**Now, back to Sly and the gang…**_

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Chapter 4 The Breakfast Clan

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Her eyelids fluttered open to an unfamiliar environment.

_Where am I?_ was the first thought to enter her mind.

Her lavender eyes darted around in her disoriented state. She grunted as she sat up, taking in the surroundings of some sort of small living room. Two shabby cream colored chairs stood on the other side of the room, facing the couch she was now sitting on. The coffee table in front of her was littered with a few aluminum cans and paper plates. Despite the messy table, the room appeared fairly tidy.

She yawned and stretched her arms high over her head. When she arched her back, continuing to stretch, she felt the tight material of her top constrict her frame slightly. She looked down, noticing that she was still clad in her thieving outfit from the night before.

The night before…

She looked up to the far side of the room to see the rays of morning sun faintly peeking in through the small window. Her mind was slightly scrambled as she tried to piece together what had happened.

She'd failed, miserably; that much was certain. And it was the one thing she just couldn't seem to push out of her mind. She cringed at the memory of stumbling and falling in front of Sly Cooper, of all people, only to be forced to give up her mission objective to him in a pitiful surrender. The events of last night weren't all that bad, however; she _did_ get to meet him after all, her one and only thieving idol. And they seemed to hit it off, at least she felt that way. But she knew she wasn't very skilled at introductions, much less giving a good first impression. She was terrible at those. She frowned at the possibility that he was still ticked with her about encroaching on his heist territory, or that maybe she'd been too forward with her surface conversation she'd carried on with him after he chased her down in the museum.

She put a hand to her forehead. _Stop it Cherise, _she said in her mind. _You're doing it again. Quit overanalyzing everything. That's how you get yourself into stupid messes to begin with._

She craned her neck to look around the room again and wondered where she was. The last thing she remembered was running from Interpol officers as they shot at her. And after that, nothing but a deep black abyss. She looked down at the pillow she'd slept on and smiled. Whoever helped her to safety after running from the cops was very accommodating. She sat up straight, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch with a sigh.

"Oh hey, you're up."

She gasped, startled by the familiar but unexpected voice, her head snapping up in its direction. The female raccoon rapidly whipped her hands up in an alarmed state.

She looked up to see the handsome raccoon thief standing before her, dressed in blue flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt. His head fur was disheveled and she could clearly see that since he wasn't wearing his blue hat. He was holding a coffee mug in each of his hands, and was looking down at her with an amused smirk. He stifled a laugh. "Good morning to you too," he joked. "Sorry if I look a little scary in the mornings." He smiled, crinkling his small black nose.

She put her hands down and opened her mouth to say something, but struggled with a proper answer, and, as she often did when she got nervous, answered in a stutter. "Oh, oh n-no. I-I-I, you don't…i-it's not…" She cringed and buried her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment. Not her most articulate or smooth attempt. "I just wasn't expecting company, that's all. It…startled me." She sighed softly and peeked back up at him with a meek smile. "Good morning."

She heard him chuckle warmly, and she noticed that his caramel eyes seemed to have a bit of a gleam in them. "That's better," he stated. "My, you're jumpy in the mornings." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I guess I can understand that; you did have a pretty rough night last night."

She glanced back up at him; she had barely woken up and she knew she always looked a mess in the mornings. It was enough to fluster her that she was in the same room with him, but on top of that her lack of confidence had to muddle her thoughts even more. She ran a hand through her thick head of hair, knowing full well the black locks were a jungle of tangles. She nodded at his statement, remembering the fear that ran rampant through her mind as she was being chased by the frightening officers. "Yea, that was…crazy…" was all she could reply with. She looked down and spotted her black beret on the floor and figured it must have fallen off her head when she'd been tossing and turning in her sleep. Hoping to camouflage her frizzy head of hair, she quickly picked it up and adjusted it on her head. She then looked around to notice something was missing. She lifted the pillows and scanned the floor in front of her in confusion.

"Lose something?" Sly asked, an amused smile on his face as he watched her scramble around for whatever she was trying to find.

She lifted up the pillows along the couch again, as if the object would magically appear after checking the same place twice. Her carnation pink lips pulled into a troubled frown. "I can't find my cane," she said.

Sly smirked. "Oh you mean that crude stick weapon thing you were using? I think you dropped it when you, uh…got hit."

She stared up at him and her lower lip poked out. Her gaze gradually fell upon the beige carpet below. "Oh…"

He shrugged apologetically. "I would've picked it up for ya, but I kind of had my hands full, you know, what with holding my own cane _and_ carrying you."

She blushed and scratched at the soft fur on the back of her neck. "No no, it's ok." She smiled and shrugged. "I should probably invest in a more sophisticated weapon, since I'd made that one myself."

That divine chuckle escaped his lips again, sending a small shiver up her spine. "Sounds like a plan." He smiled and gestured to the open seat on the couch next to her. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She sat up and her pointed silvery ears twitched. "Not at all," she answered, mentally chiding herself for sounding a little too cheery at the request.

He walked over and sat down beside the female raccoon. He set one mug down on a coaster and offered her the other one. "Care for some coffee, Cherise?"

Her heart skippd a beat in her chest as he spoke her name, but she didn't draw attention to it. Instead she smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you. That sounds wonderful." She took the mug he offered her and sipped the warm beverage. It soothed her throat as she swallowed it down. All of a sudden she noticed that her legs felt tingly. She reached down to rub her left calve, which almost felt completely numb.

"Oh right," Sly said, noticing her look of concern as she squeezed at the back of her leg. "Your legs may feel a little funny for a few days. It's a side effect from the balm."

Her eyes widened as she heard him utter the homophone. "The _bomb_?" she asked in a squeaky voice, her mouth falling open.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, no no, not the explosive kind. A balm, you know, like the cream you rub on your skin?" He rubbed his free hand along his right arm in demonstration as he spoke.

She stared up at him, her mouth still hanging open. She then clamped it shut and slowly nodded. "Oh, _that_ kind of balm." She smiled, putting a hand to her chest. "You scared me."

A grin broke out on his muzzle. "I'll admit, it's been pretty easy to do that this morning."

She giggled sheepishly before glancing around the living room. "So…I'm guessing this is your place then?"

"Yep," he answered, leaning back and crossing his legs. "Our team's little hideout. We call it the Safe House."

She nodded. "It's nice," she noted.

"Well it's not much, but it's just enough for our little team," he replied with a grin. "Can't be choosy when you live a life that the general public looks down upon."

She smirked in response. "I suppose so."

Sly looked back at the coon girl sitting next to him. She was so different from Carmelita. Almost completely different actually. Where Carmelita was domineering and commanding, Cherise was mild and shy, easily embarrassed as well it seemed. Sly had always admired Carmelita for her feisty, authoritarian streak, but being around a female who was the polar opposite was a nice change, especially since she wasn't calling him a rotten criminal and firing some kind of weapon at him.

Cherise was also attractive, in her own way. He could tell that she lacked a lot of confidence though, which was something he wondered about. She was a very pretty girl, but he could sense her self-conscious aura, and it was very present. He cocked his head to one side in contemplation before taking a sip from his mug. It wasn't bad necessarily; it was almost cute to him in a way, to be around a girl who wasn't arrogant about her looks.

Not that Carmelita was; quite the opposite. She was still very different from Cherise, as the vixen was quite confident, commanding, ambitious…sexy…

He shook his head minutely as he stopped himself. He wouldn't think about Carmelita right now; it was too painful to bring memories of their time together to the surface. He also decided not to think of Cherise as anything more than a friend. That was the safest route for the heartbroken thief.

Cherise began to grow nervous at the silence that fell upon them again. She looked down and examined her bare legs. There didn't seem to be any burns on her fur anywhere. "Any other side effects that might be present?" she inquired softly.

He looked back over at her. "Hm? Oh, no, the tingly sensation in your legs is the only thing Penelope mentioned. And if you're wondering, she just suggested we use it as a precaution. You were luckily hit with a low voltage from that maned wolf's pistol. According to Bentley, after examining you, he told us that the blast attacked your internal systems, but only temporarily. So, fortunately for you, no burns of any degree. In case you were trying to piece together why your legs aren't plastered with grotesque shock wounds."

Cherise's eyes widened slowly as she gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth. "Your friend…examined me?" she whispered in horror.

Sly smiled, and set his mug down before putting his hands up. "Nothing intrusive or embarrassing, don't worry. He just checked your vitals and was able to conclude that you'd be just fine."

She pushed her hair out of her face again out of habit and sipped the warm fresh brew from her own mug. She then placed the mug on a coaster on the small wooden coffee table. "I, uh, never got to thank you, for saving me. So, thank you…Sly."

He chuckled. "No problem. Couldn't let them take you to jail for trying to steal something you didn't even get to keep. Besides, I may be a thief, but I'm not coldhearted; when a damsel is in distress, it's my duty to rescue her."

She blushed again, and her fluffy but defined cheeks tinged with the crimson color. With a nervous laugh she replied, "Yea I really need to brush up on my skills before running around committing big crimes and stealing from museums, I guess."

He held a finger close to her face. "Now see, that's the best idea you've had so far."

She giggled, a sweet melodic sound, and Sly couldn't help but laugh a little too. She was certainly pleasant company, even if they had gotten off on the wrong foot. They certainly were on pleasant terms now.

"Sly, breakfast is ready," came a delicate but almost nasally sounding female voice. Then Penelope appeared in the doorway. The eyes behind her thick rims fell onto Cherise, who was sitting up straight, fully awake.

"Thanks Penelope," said Sly, noticing the guarded look on her face. "I don't believe you two have been formally introduced," he noted. "Come meet Cherise, the conscious Cherise," he added with a cheeky grin.

Penelope smiled but was still wary, as was Cherise. The mouse slowly walked over to the female coon on the couch.

Cherise extended her hand with an inviting smile. "Hi, Penelope. It's nice to finally meet the Cooper gang's RC specialist."

Penelope's lips parted infinitesimally as she stared at Cherise. "How'd you know that's what I specialize in?"

Cherise's ears folded downward and her eyes shifted nervously. "Uhh…"

Sly finished for her. "She's kind of a big fan of mine and has been for a while, so of course she's heard of you; you're a member of my gang too."

Penelope nodded slowly and put a hand to her chin. "Fan of a band of crooks huh?" She smiled and crossed her arms. "Well that's good to know. Usually we're scorned for our dirty thieving ways."

Cherise giggled softly at the mouse. "Yea I'm one of those weird girls that admires what the law brands as 'a band of rotten criminals'." She even used air quotes to display how silly the idea of the Cooper gang being a group of true criminals really was.

The delicious aromas wafted in from the kitchen, and Cherise inhaled the pleasing smells, only to feel a sharp pang of hunger soon after.

The mouse pushed her glasses up against her eyes and gave Cherise a gentle smile. "Hey, we're all a little weird. Sly more than the rest of us."

The male raccoon shot Penelope a mock glare, narrowing his eyes. "Watch it, rat girl," he jested.

She giggled before pivoting to return to the kitchen. "Well, food's ready whenever you feel like getting off your lazy tail and coming to the table," Penelope called over her shoulder.

Sly got up and looked back at Cherise. "You hungry?"

She opened her mouth to reply but as a way of answering for her, her stomach growled deafeningly. She quickly placed a hand over it, as if that would muffle the sound in any way whatsoever.

He snickered and held his hand out. "That's a yes. C'mon, you can join us for breakfast."

She took his hand and stood up shakily, as the tingly sensations still coursed prominently through her thighs. "Oh no Sly, really. I-I couldn't impose on you like that. You rescued me from Interpol's men and gave me a place to stay while I was knocked out. That's more than enough for me, seriously. I should get out of your fur."

As she rambled, he waited patiently for her to finish and then took her wrist gently, leading her to the kitchen. "Come on. To complete your whole bed and breakfast experience here at Chez Cooper," he offered.

She grinned. "If you insist, but I'm leaving right after that. Don't wanna get in your way."

Sly frowned at her reply. She wasn't in his way at all; for the short amount of time they got to spend getting acquainted, she was a pleasure to be around.

He led her into the kitchen as Penelope was setting blueberry muffins on the table before returning to the stove. The grease in the frying pan sizzled loudly, creating crackling, popping noises in the otherwise quiet setting.

As Penelope set the table, Bentley came into the kitchen. "Morning everyone."

The others greeted him, and as the turtle wheeled over to the coffee maker, he glanced over at Cherise. "Oh, glad to see you're up and about…Cherise was it?" Bentley asked.

She nodded. "Yes, Sly told me you helped take care of me last night." She nervously scratched the back of her head. "Thank you."

Bentley, though wary about the female stranger, still managed a smile to her. "Don't mention it," he said. "It's a very simple process. You were lucky that you weren't harmed in an irreversible way of any kind though, after pulling a stunt like that. Projectiles from shock pistols can do some real damage."

Her gaze dropped to the table, tracing a circle on it with one finger. "Yea…I know. I know better now than to mess with those guys until I can handle myself in dangerous situations like that." She shrugged. "Still, thank you."

He nodded as he poured himself a cup of coffee and approached the edge of the table. "No problem."

Sly smirked and crossed his arms. "So yea, that's Bentley, he's not too personable in the mornings."

Bentley chuckled as he extended a hand out to the coon girl, though still appeared guarded. "Sorry. It's good to meet you Cherise."

She returned the handshake as she smiled timidly at him. "You too Bentley."

The turtle returned to his spot on the other end as Cherise sat down in the empty chair next to Sly.

Booming steps sounded from down the hall as Murray walked in to join everyone. He too was focused on the now awake house guest. "Oh, hey," he said to her. "You're that raccoon girl. Sly told us about what happened at the museum. Glad to see you're up and about." Always the friendly hippo he walked right over to her and shook hands. "I'm Murray."

She grinned. "Cherise," she introduced herself. She then remembered how put off Penelope seemed to be about her idolizing the clan and knowing about their efforts, though it was plastered all over the local news and in the newspaper, so she played it off casually with Murray. "Just guessing here, but you must be the muscle of the group, huh?"

He flexed his beefy biceps. "Oh yea. That's me!"

Sly had been fixing his plate as Cherise got to know everyone. He then returned to the table and sat down beside her. "He's also the team driver," Sly informed her.

The expression on her face showed that she was impressed. "Wow, two jobs? That's a lot of responsibility."

Murray walked over to the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice and poured himself a glass. "Well citizen, with great power comes great responsibility."

She giggled. "Yes that's true," she admitted. "But I'm sure you do a fantastic job with both driving and fighting off guards."

He smiled and shrugged as he took his place at the table. "Aww, I do alright. It's really fun though. I love driving and using my awesome muscles when the situation calls for hulking strength, and if I can help my buddies while doing what I love, that's cool with me!"

She beamed up at him and nodded. "Totally."

Sly looked down at her empty plate. "Having a little four-course meal going there I see," he said in a teasing tone before biting into a strip of bacon.

She blushed, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling the sore spots from sleeping in an awkward position on the couch. She then reached out to take a muffin from the plate of them Penelope had set down and began to nibble on it. "I just feel bad about invading on breakfast with your gang."

Sly scoffed lightly. "Believe me, we get sick of seeing each other to a point that you being here is like a breath of fresh air. I especially can't stand Bentley when he gets in one of his moods."

Bentley snorted as he tapped on his computer. "The feeling is mutual, Sly."

Sly snickered as he picked on his good friend, a playful smile on his gray muzzle. "Oh come on Bent, are we so boring to you that you have to stay locked up in your research and surf the net instead of talk with us?"

The turtle sighed deeply and closed his laptop before looking up to the raccoon and clasping his hands together. "Alright, Sly. You have my undivided attention. What would you like to discuss this morning?"

Sly pressed his lips together as he looked up to the ceiling. "Mmm…" he finally shrugged. "Nothing really."

The others laughed.

Bentley smiled and shook his head. "I thought as much. Mind if I get back to the important research I was doing now?"

Sly chuckled. "By all means, Einstein." He turned back to his guest, who was still nibbling on the muffin in her hands.

"Wow, these are delicious," she declared aloud.

Penelope, finally finishing up meal preparations, joined everyone at the table. "Thanks!" said the mouse in a cheerful tone. "I don't normally bake a batch of muffins from scratch, but I'm glad you like 'em."

They ate the delicous breakfast, no one really bringing anything up to the others that held any real significance. That is, until they were all finishing up, and Bentley brought up the previous mission in casual conversation. "Well despite _how_ you got them Sly, I am glad you retrieved the LMT manuscripts."

"What's it stand for again?" Murray asked.

Bentley adjusted his glasses. "It's an acronym for 'Lost Metal Technique'. It's a documentation of a procedure that, if followed with a careful eye and able mind, can be used to create a remarkably pristine type of metal alloy, which I've been needing for future endeavors and inventions that you guys can use in the field once they're developed. And also, I wanted to study it up close for myself, and possibly test it out, since the idea of using a pristine alloy of this nature is very fascinating to me."

"So basically," Sly spoke up, "this is partially for your own selfish reasons?"

"Precisely," Bentley answered with a single nod of his head. "I would very much like to test it out and to do that, I plan on getting my hands on a bit of that pristine alloy they're experimenting on over in the states."

Murray sipped the last of his orange juice and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "So I guess that means we're headed for America then?"

Bentley nodded. "I would like to head out preferably by this weekend."

The others all nodded, all except Cherise, who simply listened.

Sly leaned forward in his chair, staring into space as he minutely shook his head. "This whole talk of alloys and pristine metal just makes me think of Clockwerk."

"Clockwerk?" Cherise questioned in a meek voice.

Sly looked over to her puzzled face. His caramel eyes hardened as the memories hit him in a flurry of hurt, anger, and sadness. But he pushed the fierce emotions to the back of his mind. "Yea, he's an enemy of mine from years ago." His gaze fell to the table as he described the horrid enemy to her. "A robotic owl that lived his life fueled by jealousy and hatred for my family. With the power of the hate he harbored for the Cooper line, he was able to live for thousands of years with his metallic body, an immortal being of sorts."

Her lavender eyes filled with perplexity and sympathy. "What a way to live," she said quietly, shaking her head.

Sly nodded and pursed his lips. "But he's dead and gone now, merely a memory." His voice softened into an almost husky tone as his caramel eyes filled with a mild sadness. "Sorry to darken the mood of breakfast guys," he said as he picked his empty plate up and took it to the sink.

Cherise looked back at the master thief as he walked to the other side of the small kitchen, and felt a pang of sadness for him. He didn't need to be sorry; whoever this Clockwerk guy was is the one who owed him so much more than a simple apology. She felt bad for prompting the sad memory from his past, and she only hoped now that his comment of suspicion would not later be confirmed; she, as well as the rest of the gang, hoped there were no malevolent plans regarding the Lost Metal Technique manuscripts the gang members now had in their possession.

She also couldn't help but wonder what her boss had wanted with the ancient manuscripts as well. But she shrugged off the thought. She knew her boss would remind her of her mission she'd failed to carry out, but she didn't care at the moment; she was just glad to be in the company of Sly Cooper, and she wasn't about to steal back from him or his gang, not right now.

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_**A/N: I actually am enjoying writing Sly's chapters a bit more than Tony's, and this is supposed to be his spinoff. Who knew? **_

_**Oh well, it's a Sly fanfic after all, and I'm excited to see what you'll think of my female OC as the story progresses. **_

_**BananaB0mb, you may be onto something, haha. Sounds like the Cooper Gang and Interpol's Fox duo might bump into each other and all of them may get tangled up in this case… :)**_

_**And it might be a while until the next update since I really need to get back to work on "The Fine Line…" story. Sorry guys!**_

_**So, until next time, whenever that may be!**_


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